New Zealand

New Zealand is situated in the Southern Hemisphere, 1900 km from Australia. It is washed by the Tasman Sea on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the east. Its territory is about 270 000 square kilometers. The population is about 4 mln.The capital of the country is Wellington.

New Zealand is reach in coal and offshore natural gas reserves. In 1988 petroleum was discovered in the western part of the North Island. Other resources include geothermal energy, iron sands and limestone.

New Zealand is an advanced industrial state with an economy dependent on trade. The leading branch of economy is farming. New Zealand is the world’s third largest producer and the second largest exporter of wool. The country is the world’s largest exporter of meat and dairy products. It also exports fruit and fish.

The chief industries are food processing, textile and electronic. The mining industry is relatively small. Construction materials, limestone and coal are mined. Automobiles and other manufactured goods and petroleum are the leading imports. Japan, Australia and the USA buy about 40%of the country’s exports and provide a substantial of its imports.